YuYu Hakusho: Extra Files
by unlockthelore
Summary: A collection of snippets featuring Team Urameshi and the others in different scenarios from post-canon to alternate universes. Chapter 4: Taking care of Yukina's niece, Kuwabara decides to ask a question that he's been curious about for his future with the Ice Maiden.
1. The New Kid on the Block

**The New Kid on the Block**

**Eyes on Me**

"Yusuke, are you listening?"

Drawn out of his thoughts, Yusuke looked away from the ceiling to Keiko crawling into bed beside him. Her hair had gotten longer in the time they'd been apart and she usually brushed it and used a tonic that smelled flowery and reminded him of the Makai. He figured that she must've gotten it from Kurama.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" He asked, reaching out to run his fingers along her lower back.

"I said, what do you think our children would look like?" Keiko turned slightly and nestled down into the blankets, gravitating closer to Yusuke's side of the bed than her own. He tucked his arm around her shoulders, lightly tapping her shoulder with his thumb.

"Getting a few little ideas because of your job?" Yusuke smirked and chuckled at the glare Keiko gave him. "Or you got something you need to tell me."

"Just answer the question, Yusuke." Keiko nestled her head against his shoulder, her arm wrapping around his middle.

"Well, I never really thought about it." Yusuke admitted, thinking back to his own childhood and his complicated relationship with his demon ancestor. "I guess if I had to pick, I'd want them to look like you."

Keiko looked up at him, her eyebrow raised. "Why me?"

"Well, you can be pretty fuckin scary but out of the two of us you're the prettier one." Yusuke smiled at the faint tinge of pink to her face. "See? And you just get prettier by the day."

Keiko huffed, hiding a smile behind her hair as she lowered her head. "Idiot," she mumbled under her breath. "I'd rather they look like you."

"How come?"

Keiko shrugged, squeezing him a little tighter. "To me, you're the prettier one."

Yusuke snorted a laugh and squeezed her shoulder. "Well, we're gonna have to disagree on that one."

He could hear Keiko's breaths evening out as she started to fall asleep. Letting his own eyes drift shut, his fingers idly massaging her shoulder, he thought about a kid with his hair and Keiko's eyes or her hair and his eyes. Girl, boy, it didn't matter to him. As long as they were alive, he'd take care of them and Keiko for as long as he lived.

"You'll make a great father, Yusuke," Keiko mumbled and his eyes shot open.

**What's In a Name?**

There was no way in any of the three or four realms that Hiei could have been prepared for Yusuke showing up on his doorstep at three in the morning. Of course, he'd been in bed and Kurama was not very happy to let him go, but the doorbell was insistent and the fox's patience was dwindling. To say that he was promising swift death to whomever was on the other side of the door was an understatement. He was actually considering slow and painful death. That is until he saw Yusuke standing there as if his entire world had come crashing down.

What's more, the former detective was armed with a pencil and a pad of paper, looking at him with all of the seriousness that equated to another case or a mission. The two of them seated in the living room with Yusuke staring down at the paper pad intently and Hiei across from him; the fire demon expected the end of the world again. Yusuke set down the paper pad and turned it towards him, pushing it over with a sharp flick of the wrist, Hiei catching it on the other end. Looking at the scribbled words, Hiei's brow furrowed and he glanced from the pad to Yusuke then back.

"What is this?" Hiei asked, gesturing to the kanji which made up several different names.

Yusuke took a deep breath then dropped his pen, lowering his head into hands. "Keiko's pregnant."

Hiei blinked rapidly, sitting up a bit straighter. Well, it was bound to happen with as much as the former detective kept ogling his wife even in public. However, that didn't explain why Yusuke was here.

"Congratulations," Kurama's voice came from behind the chair Hiei was seated on and the fire demon glanced up as the fox's arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Why was this so important that it couldn't wait until morning, Yusuke?"

For all of his politeness, Kurama especially hated being woken early in the morning. Hiei patted Kurama's arm, gently smoothing his hand up and down his forearm, using the Jagan to lift the pad and bring it closer to his hand so that he wouldn't have to move.

"We're having to pick names and I need another opinion," Yusuke smiled sheepishly and Hiei could feel the vines writhing around the house, aware of their master's displeasure.

"The only names that you came up with are 'Yusuke Jr.' And 'Yuyu'?"

Yusuke threw up his hands. "I panicked, okay?!"

Kurama sighed, pulling away from Hiei and heading to the kitchen. "I'll make tea, this is going to take awhile."

**Heart to Heart**

Keiko cherished the moments when she could see the softer sides of Yusuke. He was always rough and tumble when they were kids, getting into trouble, and often dragging her into his messes. Then he started fighting for more than himself and when she understood just how much of it was for her, it was nice to see that others were recognizing him as well. He didn't have the best childhood but he remained the kind and smiling Yusuke that she loved.

It almost surprised her at how quickly he'd taken to the idea of being a father. Initially, there was quite a bit of worry and she'd gotten more than a few phone calls from Kuwabara about Yusuke showing up at his place as a wreck. Listening to her husband blubbering on the other end of the line, wondering if he'd be a good father, and if he'll do something wrong, Yukina's soft and reassuring voice telling him in no uncertain terms that he would be a great father and he'd have to try — as long as he tried he wouldn't fail.

He must have taken the Ice Maiden's words to heart because Yusuke tried everyday. He went with her to her appointments, waited on her hand and foot for what she needed, and when the cravings she had got really bizzare — he did his best to help.

Even when it was something that could only be found in the Makai oddly enough. Of course, he often tugged Hiei into helping him and Kurama would come over to look after her while the two of them were gone. It warmed her heart to see how much their family had grown and to know that the child she carried wouldn't be alone. In Yusuke's own words, they had a "kickass team of aunts and uncles" from here to the other realms.

Keiko sighed and looked up at the doctor as she rubbed the clear-colored jelly on her stomach. Yusuke watching intently, his gaze flicking from the doctor's movements to Keiko's stomach then Keiko's face, as if gauging for any folly or a moment he needed to step in. Holding out her hand to him, Yusuke got the message and held it, waiting while the doctor set everything up then began to rub the stethoscope around her stomach.

"Let's see here." The doctor said, moving it around slowly. "Ah, there they are."

On the screen in monochrome, the outline of an infant could be made out among all of the lines. Keiko's eyes widened and she smiled widely, looking to Yusuke. His eyes were wide and glazed over, tears beading at the corners. Keiko's eyebrows furrowed and she squeezed his hand to get his attention. Then she heard it, a soft beating.

"…What's that?"

The doctor looked from the screen to the pair, unbothered by the tears in their eyes, it was something that she saw everyday with expecting parents after all. "That would be your baby's heartbeat."

Keiko squeezed Yusuke's hand again and the pressure was returned although she felt the warmth of his hands cradling hers. Looking at him, she was met with teary eyes and his lips quivering. It wasn't often that she saw Yusuke cry and to say that she was taken aback would've been an understatement.

"Thank you," he muttered, lifting her hand and pressing his forehead to her fingers. "…Thank you so much."

She was reminded of Kuwabara telling her of Yusuke's words before they departed from the Reikai, leaving him to decide on how to shut down the machine that could've ended the world as they knew it.

He had a goddess on his side.

And if he was a demon, and she was a goddess, their child would be the best of both worlds.

"Yusuke, thank you for everything."

**Put Me Together**

Kuwabara knew that Yusuke was a pretty tough guy. After all of the fights they'd had over the years and the crazy stuff that Yusuke bounced back from, there was no doubt in his mind that any challenge that came their way would've been childs play for him. So he was trying to figure out what manner of sorcery could have been cast on the pieces of the crib that Yusuke was trying to assemble which made him glare at it like it was the most vile thing in the world.

"Need some help?"

Yusuke broke his staring contest with the crib to look Kuwabara's way, his expression easing into one of weariness. "I got this."

"You sure? Cause it looks like it's kicking your ass."

"I said that I've got this, Kuwabara."

Raising his hands and knowing better than to get in-between Yusuke and something he's glaring at, Kuwabara sat down in the rocking chair off in the corner.

"So, how's things going with Keiko?"

"Her cravings are getting weirder by the day. Y'know, she asks me for this plant that grew in Demon City?"

Kuwabara wrinkled his nose. He remembered that place especially Maze Castle. "Did you end up getting it?"

"Had to bring Hiei with me, we made a whole day out of it, nearly got myself eaten by Kamui though."

"Why didn't you end up bringing me along?" Kuwabara frowned, pushing over a piece that Yusuke was reaching for.

"You were in class, genius, you're studying to be a teacher right?"

Kuwabara blinked at that. He didn't think that Yusuke actually kept up with what he was doing from the day to day. "…You remembered?"

"Did I remember?" Yusuke frowned at him. "Course I did, we all know, man. Seriously…"

Kuwabara smiled slightly, joining him on the floor as he helped to put the crib together, actually fitting together two of the pieces he'd seen Yusuke nearly shrugging with and almost close to breaking.

"Did you even bother to read the instructions?" Kuwabara asked once they were done nearly a half hour later.

Yusuke shoved a bottle of water in his hands. "Shut up and tell me about your classes and what's going on with you and Yukina," he ordered, flopping down on the couch with his feet kicked up on the arm.

Kuwabara snorted, knocking his feet off before taking a seat on the other end. "Alright, well…"

**She's Mine**

Yusuke still couldn't believe that he and Keiko had a child. It was difficult wrapping his mind around the fact that this little pink-faced blanket-wrapped kid was made by them. He knew that he was crying, everyone else in the room either electing not to point it out or letting him have his moment, but it didn't matter. She was here. And she was the most perfect thing that he'd ever seen. He'd worried time and time again. What if he wasn't a good father? He didn't even know much of his own father and had nothing to compare it to. What if something happened, an enemy of his own or Raizen's coming back to try and hurt them? He'd make sure that they never saw daylight again was the immediate answer. But most of all, what if she didn't love him? What if he hurt her? What if —

"Want to hold her?" Keiko asked, offering the bundle to him and Yusuke sucked in a breath. "She won't bite, honey."

It wasn't often that she called him 'honey'. Pet names wasn't something that was usual for them and he was more accustomed to hearing her yelling his name. Something must've shown on his face, his fears, his doubts, because she eased him closer and showed him how to cradle her head and her body. Holding this new person to his chest, looking down into wide brown eyes that stared up at him curiously. Curled fingers rubbed against their cheeks as they squirmed and he felt his heart melting.

"You're so beautiful," he mumbled, leaning down to kiss the tuft of dark hair that poked from beneath her knitted cap.

Atsuko had taken up knitting more often. Deciding to be the best grandmother that she could be, the number of baby clothes they found in their house had grown substantially since the woman's hobby began. It seemed the more she had to devote her time to, the less she picked up a bottle, and she was amazing when she was sober. Yusuke smiled and rested his forehead against his daughter's, letting her hands brush against his face as she squirmed.

She whined and stretched out her arms and Yusuke couldn't help but smile. Her voice was loud. She had strong lungs and he couldn't help but wonder. Would she be strong like Keiko? Would she have her sense of reasoning? Her intellect? Would she have his penchant for fighting? Would she have his quick-thinking? What kind of person would she be?

He wanted to be there for every bit of it.

"Do you want to wait to announce her name to everyone?"

Yusuke smiled at his wife, even with her hair done up in a messy bun, sweat clinging to her brow and weariness in her eyes, she was still a goddess in the flesh. He shifted his daughter to one arm, reaching out to hold Keiko's hand and bringing it to his lips.

"Yeah, you get some sleep, Keiko…"

She smiled softly and sank down against the pillows, holding out her hand for their child and he relinquished her reluctantly. But seeing them together, seeing them sleeping, he wanted to protect this for as long as he could.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Well, I had this sitting around in my head for awhile and decided to just throw it out there. I have a lot of headcanons in my head and things that I roll around and wanted to write out but it wouldn't fit in any of my fics and I didn't want to make any more WIPs when they were more one-shot ideas, so they're all going here! This particular idea was something that I'd been working through for awhile and I am so happy that I got it out. So yeah, Keiko and Yusuke had a kid! A little girl whose name hasn't been revealed yet, and everyone has had a hand in helping to make sure that he didn't end up falling apart.

I find it funny because I can see Yusuke bending over backward to make sure that Keiko had everything she needed. Going to all lengths to make sure she had what she wanted for her cravings and just trying to make her comfortable. She's his goddess and he's in awe while she's actually carrying life in her and it's just humbling and awe-filled.

I might elaborate more on this point in their life if it strikes me but for now, that's that.

As usual, I do not own YuYu Hakusho. Comments, reviews, feedback and kudos are appreciated.


	2. A Pocket of Sunshine

Kurama expected to hear soft giggling and a gentle yet blunt voice upon returning home. Standing in the entry hall and waiting for the telltale footsteps and little gurgling noises, he was oddly put out when he found that no one was coming. A quick trek from the kitchen to the living room, upstairs in his bedroom then the nursery, he found there was no one at all. The house was quiet but that was nothing new. His plants slithered from their hiding places or bent lower from where they were hung and draped across the walls and on shelves, greeting him as he passed them by.

It was nice to have so much life in their home and Hiei took to the plants from the Ningenkai just as he did to the ones from the Makai. Kurama's plants taking to the fire demon as well and when questioned of his whereabouts, they directed Kurama to the backyard. Opening the sliding glass door, Kurama looked outside and glanced around. The backyard was empty as far as he could see but with a look up at the tree nearest to his rose bushes, he could see a dark figure lounging in the tree boughs.

"Hiei." Kurama sighs, leaving the door ajar as he walks over and peers closer. "Wh—"

Hiei slept with deep even breaths, at home in the tree just as he would have been in their own bed, but it was infant curled up to his chest that gave Kurama pause. He knew that Hiei would rather die than drop her. But there was a perfectly good house for them to sleep in with beds made _specifically _for that purpose.

"What are you two doing up there?" Kurama asks, smiling despite himself as both of them stirred at the sound of his voice.

Hiei was the first to fully wake, his arms wrapping around the infant securely as he sat up, head swiveling from left to right. Kurama couldn't help but smile wider. It was difficult for Hiei to sleep most nights even now. Nightmares keeping him awake and nerves from decades of fighting keeping him alert. He wasn't sure when this started. But when Hiei couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake him, he'd go to her. Kurama found him sleeping beside her crib more than once or with her in his arms while the TV played with some children's show that neither of them were paying attention to on account of being fast asleep. Though his favorite moments were ones like this. Finding them in the backyard amidst the garden, sleeping without a care in the world among the plants charged with his youki.

Hiei leapt down from the tree in a low crouch, cradling her head to his chest with his arm supporting her back, standing slowly with his eyes fixated on her. Soft deep even breaths mingled with the birdsong and Kurama smiled. Tiny fists curled in Hiei's cloak, holding tight as the fire demon walked over to Kurama, a yawn parting his lips as he looked up at the fox with sleep-glazed eyes.

"Sleep well?" Kurama asked, brushing his fingers along Hiei's cheek, wiping away a piece of a leaf beneath his eye.

Hiei grumbled, leaning into his touch, tilting his head to brush his lips against his fingertips. "Barely. She wouldn't go down for a nap until we came out here."

"Oh?" Kurama glanced down at the slumbering child, cheeks flushed red, her dark hair curling at the ends.

"My guess? She wanted to be close to you."

Kurama had grown adept at understanding the hidden messages in Hiei's words and actions. His eyes meeting Hiei's, the words left unsaid were loud in the silence, and lost between their lips.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hiei does not sleep very well but there's something about seeing an infant sleeping so peacefully that just helps. It makes the world a bit softer and he finds it's easier to just shut his eyes for a little while. Though, sleeping in a tree with a kid on your chest isn't exactly the safest practice, she's just about as used to it as Hiei is. Plus, it's a lot easier than trying to watch her with the Jagan while he's trying to get some sleep and Kurama's garden is pretty comfortable. And just maybe, just a ilittle/i, they both missed him a lot.

I do not own YuYu Hakusho. Comments, reviews, and feedback are appreciated!


	3. Promises of a Father

Fatherhood was a pretty demanding task but compared to all that Keiko had gone through with carrying and actually _birthing_ their child, Yusuke wasn't complaining. He didn't mind having to get up in the middle of the night and tend to their crying child or bring her to work with him when they couldn't find a sitter. She especially loved going to the Makai and he felt a considerable amount of badassery even with a baby harness on. Most of Raizen's underlings were curious about her but they were overjoyed that Yusuke actually _had_ an heir rather than waiting thousands of years for one like his predecessor. Though he made it clear that he wasn't grooming his kid to take over. He didn't like it when people forced him into things growing up and he'd be damned if he was going to do the same thing to her.

No amount of change, age or perspective was ever going to change the fact that he was a delinquent counted out by everyone and proved himself time and time again. And one day, he'd have to explain all of that to his own kid. Sometimes, the thought of it kept him up at night. Just like tonight when he thought he'd get some shuteye, his arm thrown around Keiko's middle, curled up at her back, tracing shapes and words and pictures on her stomach to give himself something to do in the stillness.

When his eyelids finally started to feel heavy and the warm shifting weariness of sleep began to drag him under, a shrill cry broke the calm. Keiko began to stir and groaned, mumbling that she had to get up but Yusuke pressed his hand to her stomach and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"I got her," he muttered close to her ear, pressing a kiss behind it and smiling as she buried her face against the pillow with a sigh. Untangling himself from her and slipping out of bed, the floor was cold beneath his feet and the chill ran down his spine. Cool air biting at his legs and he wished that he at least wore pants to bed rather than just lounging in his boxers. None of that mattered though when he heard the earth-shattering teary cry, closing the door to his and Keiko's room behind him and heading a door down to the nursery.

Sniffling and sobbing cries nearly broke his heart as he hurried over to the crib.

"Hey, hey…" Yusuke cooed softly, reaching down and slipping his hand beneath her head as he lifted her up and cradled her to his chest. "What's wrong, hm?"

Her face was flushed red, fat tears rolling down her cheeks and her fingers were curled as her hands waved around. Yusuke shifted her to the crook of his arm and brushed his fingers beneath her eyes, gently bouncing and rocking her as he wiped away the tears.

"Daddy's here, see? Daddy's right here."

Her cries gradually died down, big brown eyes glazed with unshed tears meeting his own, little sniffles wrenching at his heart but he smiled warmly.

"Just feeling lonely?" Yusuke asked, walking across the carpet to the little potted plants sitting at the window sill. He wasn't sure what they were exactly and was only half-listening when Kurama explained their meaning but the smell was nice. It reminded him of the Makai and they were growing strong, only needing a bit of his youki and the sun. Sitting down on the little space provided on the ledge, he peered out at the neighborhood, the city's lights in the distance.

She squirmed against his chest and he glanced down.

"Want a better look?"

Sitting her down on his thigh, he supported her with his arm and gently rapped his knuckles against the glass for her attention. She looked everywhere else at first before focusing and when her eyes went wide, he smiled.

"See, this city that we're in is called Sarayashiki. Daddy and mommy grew up here." Yusuke said, running his fingers through her dark hair. "Now Grandma Atsuko lives all the way over there, and Grandma Chiharu and Grandpa Eiichi live over here. Grandma Atsuko was the one who made the blanket you like so much, and Grandpa Eiichi is the one that might spoil you rotten."

She rocked slightly and tilted her head back, looking up at him and slapping her hand against his arm. Yusuke chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. There was something about those eyes looking at him. Openly staring and trusting without judgement. It was disarming, softening, and he wished that he could have it forever. He wondered if he looked like this as a baby.

"My mom was young when she had me, about fourteen if I remember it right…"

Yusuke rested his back against the wall and held his daughter close.

"My dad was barely around but he used to try and beat her all the time, and every time he raised his fist, I'd be right there to make sure he thought twice."

He wasn't sure if she understood anything that he was saying but she blinked up at him, the hand that he rested on her stomach held between her smaller ones.

"Trying to comfort me or something?" He joked, curling his fingers around her smaller ones. "Don't worry, daddy's not sad. Okay?"

He'd grown accustomed to it. Understood it. That was just his lot in life and he wasn't about to gripe over it. But seeing her, holding her, being with her, marrying Keiko, meeting the others, having a _family_ — he couldn't imagine why someone would want to give all that up for the streets. Or the city lights.

"I'm gonna always be there for you, okay?" Yusuke gave her fingers a little squeeze. "Your dad is going to love you to hell and back, you hear me? And no matter what, you're never gonna be alone, I _promise_ you that."

He felt a pressure at the back of his eyes and sniffed, willing the tears away, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"I promise, Masaki."

* * *

**Author's Note**

I always think about Yusuke's dad and the little information that we know about him. The idea that Yusuke grew up defending his mother from his father's abuse only to have a family himself and he's definitely seeking to break the cycle. I imagine that he has a lot of these conversations with his daughter, holding her close, trying to soothe her. So many people might've ignored him when he was crying out as a kid but there are people who'll listen to him now. And he doesn't want her to have to wait that long for that sort of love and affirmation.

I do not own YuYu Hakusho. Comments, reviews, feedback and kudos are appreciated!


	4. Need an Icebreaker?

"Are you sure you're Hiei's kid?" Kuwabara asked, lifting the smiling infant in the air and grinning as her tiny hands reached out for his face.

With thick pitch-black hair that curled at the ends and big bright green eyes flecked with bits of gold; he had to admit that she did look a little like Hiei with a bit of Kurama in there too. Kuwabara was used to Kurama's quiet and controlled chuckling and Hiei's menacing cackling but hers was bubbly and infectious. To say that she was always happy would've been an understatement and even now, she was giving him a big smile as she tried to reach for his hair.

"You smile way too much to be related to that grump." Kuwabara cooed, bringing her a bit closer to his face.

One of her hands grabbed hold of his hair and though she didn't yank it, she did try to pull it closer to her mouth. Kuwabara wrinkled his nose, remembering Kurama's warning about her hair-pulling, and gently pulling his hair out of her grip. It messed up his do but when she gave him that sunny smile, it was hard to be mad at her.

The locks on the front door turned and Kuwabara tucked her close to his chest as he got up, heading to the entry hall. Her fists curled in his shirt as she teetered backward, peeking with him around the corner as the door opened. Yukina walking through dressed in her training garbs, bandages wrapped around her wrists, a bandaid on her cheek and her clothes torn in a few places but otherwise she seemed fine.

"Hey, Aunt Yukina's home!"

Yukina stiffened up and looked over as Kuwabara walked closer.

"Hiei brought Aiko?" Yukina asked, looking from Kuwabara to Aiko, smiling as the little girl reached out for her.

"Yeah, said he had to take care of some stuff for Mukuro and Kurama's at work, so he dropped her off with us."

Carefully taking Aiko from Kuwabara, she held her close to her chest and pressed a kiss to her forehead, nuzzling her head as the girl giggled. Kuwabara was happy enough to wait his turn, a flutter in his chest at watching the two of them. Yukina glanced up at him and shifted Aiko to her hip, crooking a finger and Kuwabara leant down, their lips meeting and he leant into the comfortable chill. Despite the cold, Yukina's lips were soft and smooth, whereas his own were a little chapped. She didn't seem to mind though. A little smile curving her lips as they parted, warm crimson eyes meeting his own and Kuwabara could've sworn that his heart skipped a beat. Her gaze shifted to Aiko as she brushed past, bouncing the little girl on her hip to hear her laugh.

"He did call me but I was driving back so I couldn't answer."

Kuwabara shoved his hands in his pockets as he followed along, making little faces at Aiko as she lit up giggling and swaying in Yukina's hold. The program on the TV looked like another kid's show and Yukina settled down in front of the television with Aiko in her lap. Kuwabara pressed the button to stop the fan. With Yukina in the room, the temperature dropped a few degrees and he didn't need them freezing. Although Aiko didn't seem bothered by the Ice Maiden's body temperature.

"Were you both alright?" Yukina asked, supporting Aiko's back with her arm and letting the little girl toy with her fingers as she regarded Kuwabara.

Kuwabara grinned, leaning closer to them, poking the middle of Aiko's forehead. "Yeah, we were having a great time, weren't we Aiko?"

He wiggled his fingers in front of her face and Aiko looked up, holding Yukina's index finger with one hand and reaching for Kuwabara's with the other. He pulled it out of her reach then inched it closer, trying not to coo over the little furrow in her brow. Eventually he let his finger linger a bit too long and she grasped it tightly, cheering and kicking her feet.

"See?"

Yukina giggled and brushed the tip of her finger against her niece's cheek. "Well that's good."

"How're things going in the Reikai?" Kuwabara asked, settling close to Yukina's side and wiggling his finger to keep Aiko occupied.

Yukina huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, the new recruits are learning how to dodge at the least."

Kuwabara bit back a chuckle. Whenever she looked like that, she reminded him a lot of Hiei. Finding out the two of them were twins wasn't as surprising when you looked a bit closer. They had a lot of similarities although Yukina could be a lot colder than Hiei could be. She was also a hell of a lot more polite, although sometimes her politeness could be a little biting. They talked a bit more about the minutiae of their days. Kuwabara explaining all that he and Aiko had been up to from doing some shopping to stopping by Kurama's mother's place so that she could play with the baby for a bit.

All the while, Yukina's eyes were focused on Aiko and she hummed at different points in his story. A snowflake formed in the center of Yukina's palm had the little girl relinquishing the Ice Maiden's finger to watch as the snowflake twirled about and lifted in the air. Aiko's eyes widened and her lips parted, tiny hands reaching for the snowflake and Yukina brought her hand closer. Once it was within her grasp, Aiko held it curiously then brought it closer to her mouth and before Kuwabara could stop her, she stuck it in her mouth with a little wiggle of her legs likely from the cold.

Kuwabara gaped. "H-Hey, don't put that in your mouth."

"It's alright, Kazuma. It's just water and it won't hurt her." Yukina rubbed Aiko's back, shaking her head. "I used to do the same thing when I was younger."

Kuwabara's attention turned to Yukina. She rarely talked about her life on Hyouga or her childhood. Most questions were either deflected or she'd give a slight smile, a curt answer and then continue with what she was doing. He often wondered what life must have been like for her as a kid. His assumption that Hiei didn't have a lot of friends growing up was surprisingly and sadly accurate, but Yukina was the only kid of her generation without Hiei around from what he could understand, so what did that mean for her?

"Have you ever thought of having kids of your own, Yukina?"

The Ice Maiden gently, yet firmly, pulled Aiko's fingers from her mouth. "Actually, yes," Yukina said slowly, quiet for a moment before she looked at him. "I would rather not."

Kuwabara winced and rubbed the back of his head. "Really?"

Yukina hesitated, looking him over as if gauging whether she wanted to have this conversation or not, and he wondered what his expression must've been. It was true that he did want a relationship with Yukina and the idea of having a family with her excited him. However, his "fated love" wasn't a fairy tale experience and he recalled Hiei's warning with startling accuracy.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing." Kuwabara raised his hand and the tension in Yukina's posture slowly ebbed away. "Just how come?"

Yukina's gaze wandered to Aiko as the little girl rocked back and forth, looking everywhere else but at them, still entertaining herself by holding onto Kuwabara's finger. The ice maiden's features softened and her eyes were warmer, another snowflake forming in her hand and held out for the little girl's interest. When Aiko squealed, Yukina smiled and Kuwabara's heart fluttered.

"Children are wonderful but because of how a koorime is born, there is often pressure for the next generation," Yukina began, shifting her legs and easing Aiko closer to her chest, brushing her lips against the soft messy locks atop the girl's head. "Thinking of how I was raised, I worry over how my own children might fare."

Kuwabara swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I doubt you'd be the same as the people who raised you, you'd be a great mother!" Kuwabara grinned, hoping that its as reassuring.

Yukina glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "If I am, I would rather be a mother to a child who doesn't have one. My brother was abandoned, he had no one. I had Rui and she wasn't my mother by creation but she was my mother by the love and care that she gave me."

Her voice softened as Aiko's hand pressed against her cheek, crimson eyes lowering to the pair of green ones that looked up at her.

"And the truth she told me."

Kuwabara nodded slowly. The people who raised Yukina were the same ones who decided it'd be a great idea to chuck Hiei off a cliff. Thinking about that, no wonder the shrimp had grown up to be as hotheaded and abrasive as he was. He was literally thrown to the wolves and Yukina had to find that out later. Probably after growing up thinking that she was the only one. He could tell that it cut deep with both of them. Their auras changed when subjects of family were brought up and when Aiko was born, it was like something shifted between them. Like they'd been holding a breath and she gave them a reason to let it go.

They'd been closer ever since she came into the world. More so than they'd been before, and while it made him happy to see them happy, it worried him.

"So, you'd rather adopt?"

"If possible."

Kuwabara turned to look at the television and smiled. "That sounds good to me."

"Really?" Yukina asked, and there's an oddly hopeful tone to her voice that wrenches at Kuwabara's heart.

"Mm!" Kuwabara smiled at her widely. "I don't care how we have a family, just as long as it's together, and we're both okay with it."

Besides, they already had a crazy enough family and he was more than happy to uncle Yusuke and Hiei and Kurama's kids.

"We already have Eikitchi and Eikitchi Jr. so in a way, we're already parents." Kuwabara pointed out, looking over at the older cat curled up on her bed beneath the window. The little kitten with a similar brown coat and white underbelly curled up beside her.

Yukina giggled and Kuwabara looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"What's so funny?"

The ice maiden smiled and Kuwabara felt his face growing hotter at the picture in front of him. Aiko looked up at him and reached out for his face while Yukina's adoring smile matched the brightness in her eyes. He wasn't sure just what he said but it must have been something good. And hell, he'd say it again if it got her to smile at him like that.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Yukina and Hiei had a very tumultuous past and their upbringing is nothing short of a roller coaster ride. I wondered how it would've colored their view of having children of their own and a family. Especially considering that they are repairing their own relationship and their views of their heritage and one another.

At this point, they're working well toward it and Hiei's made his choice and this is Yukina's. Kuwabara is a pretty understanding guy and I think he'd take her thoughts into account when it comes to child-rearing and the like. Just another facet of their relationship that isn't a dealbreaker but a moment of growth.

I do not own YuYu Hakusho. Comments, reviews, feedback and kudos are appreciated!


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